


Poker Face

by KitKatWitch



Series: It's You [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Poker, Reveal, its a few years later, just a bunch of friends hanging out, no real gambling they're just playing for fun, rose and juleka live together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 07:36:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11143851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitKatWitch/pseuds/KitKatWitch
Summary: Marinette and Adrien are terrible liars. Except for where it counts, apparently.





	Poker Face

"Straight flush," Marinette crowed, laying all her cards out on the table and earning groans from her classmates as she raked in the pile of chips.

"Again?" Kim asked incredulously, gripping his short hair with his hands. "That’s like, the _third_ time _tonight_!" Turning to his right, he pointed across the table to Marinette and asked Max, "Is that even _possible?"_

Fixing his glasses, he typed something on his phone. "The odds of getting the cards needed in the fold, river and the turn, combined with the two in her hand, are almost fourteen hundred to one. So…technically," he added with a shrug, "It _is_ possible."

Kim groaned, slamming his head on the table while his classmates giggled at his misfortune. "Told you she was bluffing," Alix smarmed, whacking him on the back. He merely grunted in response.

"My turn to deal," Juleka chimed, taking the deck from Nino to her right and passing the big and little blind tokens to Rose and Mylene to her left. The two girls put out their tokens, and the rest of the table began talking quietly while Juleka (impressively) shuffled.

Marinette took the distraction to reach under the table and high five her little kwami, who was enjoying her freedom out of sight and feeling the different fluctuations of luck coming from above. She also was playing with Juleka and Rose’s multiple cats who were weaving in and out between the humans’ legs.

Marinette returned her attention to the cards being laid in front of her, taking a quick glance at them before looking across the table to Adrien, who sat directly opposite of herself. Despite how much she mellowed out over the few years since Lycee, and the fact that now she and Adrien were actually close friends and she could speak a sentence around him, her crush never fully dissipated.

Even more surprising was how much of a competition he was in the poker game. For some reason, Marinette could never see his bluffs coming. Granted, he never had the best cards, and he always played conservatively, but when he bluffed he bluffed _big_. The pile of chips on his end almost rivaled her own.

She knew why she was good at it – lying for three years about her superhero alter ego came with benefits. She couldn’t lie to save her life about her crush on Adrien or why there was cake batter on the ceiling, but apparently poker was closer in line to her alternate life. She could only assume Adrien was as good as she was because he had been a model for such a long time.

The cards were laid out, and she took another glance to her hand. _Ace and Queen of Hearts_ …the heart cards really favored her. Though that might have something to do with the God of Luck and Creation snuggling against her knees. Glancing at the cards laid out, she saw they were mostly black ones. _Going to have to bet small on this one_.

She cast her eyes over to Adrien again, trying to catch his reaction as his emerald eyes stared down at the three face up cards. As usual, however, he let nothing out, and merely checked when it came around to his turn. Nino to his left just slammed his head on the table and moved his hand to the discard pile.

"I fold," he lamented, earning a rub on the back and condolences from Adrien. Juleka chuckled and continued the round, eventually turning over the last card which was an ace of spades.

"Check," Marinette said, hiding her nerves. Only she, Rose, Kim, and Adrien were still in the round. Alya had dropped out after the turn, Alix made it to the river, Max said some statistics and folded, Juleka was dealer, and Mylene also folded immediately.

"Raise two hundred," Kim boasted, pushing the black tokens into the middle. Adrien chuckled and met the bed, and surprisingly so did Rose. Marinette knew when to stop pressing her luck, so she folded and ignored the faux shocked gasps.

Rose turned over her cards first, an angelic little smile on her face as she said "King me!" She had the king of hearts and diamonds. There were no kings on the table, however, so her high hand was just a pair.

Juleka leaned over, brushing their shoulders together and smiling at her girlfriend. "Wrong game, babe," she corrected, which made Rose blush lightly and giggle. Still, her hand was high, and the possibility of her winning was real. Emphasized by Kim tossing his cards and scowling.

"I only had the pair of twos," he grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. Rose clapped her hands together and was about to reach over to rake in the chips, when suddenly Adrien made a _tsk_ noise in the back of his throat.

"Not so fast there, Rose," the boy said, flipping his cards over with a dramatic flair he obviously got from the years he spent in his father’s company. There, staring back at the rest of the table, were two aces. The ace of diamonds, and the ace of clubs.

Marinette gasped, drowned out by the rest of the tables indignant squawks as Adrien laughed and brought the chips to his growing pile. _All four aces in one hand?_ She thought to herself, reaching under the table and attempting to tap Tikki. _Did she influence that?_

However, she met a slightly fuzzy head instead, which promptly turned around and nipped her finger. " _Ouch_!" she yelped, getting the attention of most of the table.

"You okay girl?" Alya asked from her left. She nodded, sucking the point of her finger and mumbling, "Just a nip, I’ve pricked myself worse." Juleka and Rose exchanged a look, then glanced across the room.

"None of our babies really nip," Rose said, voice sounding far away. Juleka nodded, looking across to the couch in the living room.

"Plus, like, I’m pretty sure they’re all over there." Marinette followed her finger and saw that it was true. All four of Juleka and Rose’s cats were over on the couch. Suddenly Marinette began to panic, needing to stop anyone from looking under the table.

"O-oh!" she interjected, stopping a few of them halfway down. "That makes so much more sense! I was wondering how a cat got to the top of the table…I must have, er, scratched myself on a nail sticking out." She laughed weakly, her sound trailing off and sticking her finger back in her mouth.

The rest of them seemed to accept it, though, and Alya shook her head with a sigh. "What _am_ I gonna do with you?" she asked, winking at her best friend. Marinette laughed again, more genuine, and the deck passed around.

"I’m glad it was just a nail," Adrien said, drawing Marinette’s attention back to him. "Besides," he added slyly, a grin on his face. Nino looked fearful, which meant he knew what was coming. Marinette had no idea.

"I thought _catnip_ was supposed to make things better, not worse!" Nino groaned, his head hitting the table again and making Alya mutter something about him getting a bump on his head again. Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed, but she pushed out a laugh, wondering why that felt so familiar.

The cards continued to fold and fly, and the piles around them dwindled while Adrien and Marinette’s piles each grew in turn. After another insane river showed three Jacks on the table, Marinette reached down to try to get Tikki’s attention again.

This time she jumped and slammed her knee on the table when a fuzzy thing again bit her leg, which thankfully was simple enough that while people noticed, only Alya said anything about it.

"Girl, what is _up_ with you?" she asked, brows pulled together in her typical journalistic expression. There was a scoop here, and she wasn’t going to miss it. Marinette quickly grabbed the offending fuzz ball and shoved it in her bag, snapping it shut and standing up quickly.

"I’m just, gonna, make a call," she explained rapidly, holding up her phone. "It’s on vibe and it just scared me, is all." Smiling in apology, she excused herself around the table and went out to the little balcony attached to the apartment.

"Okay, what is going _on_ with youu…." She began, opening up her purse and glaring down at the little creature inside.

The little black creature.

With green eyes.

And cat ears.

And a sheepish grin.

"Whoops," the fuzzy thing said with a nervous little laugh.

Marinette screamed, tossing her bag across the landing and backing up against the railing as the full weight of this discovery began to settle on her.

_Kwami. It’s a kwami. It talked, it spoke, that means it’s a_ kwami _and it’s not Tikki she definitely didn’t change that much can she even change? I don’t know but that is **not**_ _Tikki which means its another Kwami and it has **cat ears** why does it have **cat ears** and its black and black and cat ears equals Chat Noir which means that someone at this table is Chat Noir oh my god I’m having a panic attack._

Of course, because apparently this was the god of _bad_ luck, Adrien came out, concern etched on his face. "Marinette, are you okay? I heard you scream…" he glanced down at her purse across the way, frowning and getting ready to move towards it.

"No!" She cried, standing up quickly and holding out her hand. "There was, eh…a spider!" _Smooth_. "Yeah, a _huuuge_ spider, so I freaked out and threw my purse. But I think it’s gone now!" She rubbed the back of her head, smiling awkwardly.

Adrien (good, pure Adrien) smiled in relief, accepting her story easily. "Okay, well, we’re going to keep playing until you come back, don’t take too long or I’ll steal all your winnings!" He winked, she melted, and he left back into the room.

Marinette let out a breath, staring warily at the little pink purse across the way. Making sure her back was to the glass doors (even though the kitchen table was out of sight), she lifted the clasp in front of her and opened it slightly.

The small creature (Kwami) immediately flew up, a scowl on its little face. "That _hurt_ ¸ princess," he growled, crossing his tiny arms and floating just in front of her face. Marinette gaped like a fish on land, then grabbed the little thing and snuggled it close.

"You…are so… _cute,_ " she hissed, holding him tight and kissing his head. "You’re Chat’s kwami, right?" The kwami nodded, looking put out and unhappy at the intense snuggle (but she definitely heard a little purr).

"Got that right, sweetheart, name’s Plagg," he agreed, looking back up at her with his green eyes. "And I know all about _you_ , Lady." Marinette’s eyes grew wide, and he smiled in return. "Oh, is that really so surprising? Don’t worry, I haven’t told my kid crap."

Marinette frowned, glancing back over her shoulder as if she could see her friends. _Someone in there is my best friend and partner who I trust with my life…and love._ Turning back to Plagg, she found him settling back in her bag.

"Now if you excuse me, I want to get back in there to Tikki and A _mmmph!_ " His mouth (well, head) was covered by her hand and Marinette hushed him quickly.

"Do _not_ tell me," she commanded, and the little god shrugged. "I…" she continued, surprising him. Plagg thought she was done. Glancing up, he saw a soft blush on her face.

"I want to figure it out myself." Plagg grinned, glancing back over through the room. _Who’s the only blonde guy with green eyes and makes so many puns you want to puke? This should be easy_.

"Whatever you say, just get us back in there. Do you know how long it’s been since I spent some time with Tikki?" Marinette blinked, realizing that the two of them were just as connected as she and Chat were. They must have missed each other terribly.

"Oh, right," she began closing the bag, but stopped, leveling a look at him. "Bite me again and I’ll make sure Chat doesn’t feed you." He swallowed, nodding and retreating to the bottom of the bag.

Satisfied her threat was taken seriously, she returned to the room, surprised to find that only two rounds had gone by and she was now the dealer. _Perfect,_ she thought. _Now I don’t have to focus on winning._

She began shuffling the cards, glancing around at the room and beginning to mark people off one by one. Alya was out; she couldn’t have interviewed Chat if she _was_ Chat. Nino was her camera man most of the time, so that ruled him out as well. Mylene was too quiet and had the wrong build, and she was sure the transformation couldn’t change that much.

Rose was close, since she was blonde and the suit could probably hide her eyes, but Chat was taller than Ladybug, and Rose was too petite to fill those shoes. Juleka would fit more, if it wasn’t for her dark hair and dating Rose. No way Chat would flirt with her if he was in love with someone as much as Juleka and Rose loved each other.

That ruled out more than half the table by the time she began to deal her hands. To her left she had Alya (out), then Alix, Kim, Max, and Adrien. Alix was possible, she thought. She had a more masculine build, and their personalities were similar, but she couldn’t see the hair transitioning so well. Unless the girl was blonde underneath and kwami magic got rid of dyes? And…changed her voice? And height?

She filed that away and moved to her next subject, Kim. She could rule Kim out pretty fast, since he was akumatized the time she kissed Chat. Other Akumas could have made a false Chat to hide identities, but this one had been all too real. A soft blush coated her cheeks as she brushed him aside mentally and moved on to Max.

Max was a no almost as quickly. He was short, had dark skin and hair, and probably wasn’t the kind of person to throw himself into danger without a solid plan and at least three alternate plans. She held back a snort when she thought of Chat trying to plan _anything_.

This brought her back to Adrien, directly across from her and a relaxed smile on his face. He had been smiling more since they became friends, and she wanted to pretend that was as much because of her as it was the fact that he no longer had to model. He was finally able to enjoy being a teenager, and that seemed to loosen him up all around.

Marinette flipped over the turn, watching Adrien and comparing. True, they had similar builds, hair, eyes, height…but for some reason things weren’t clicking in her head. It was like Adrien and Chat were two puzzle pieces that seemed to fit together perfectly, only they were upside down so she couldn’t see if the pictures matched. Something was missing.

She was tapping her lip in thought when Nino’s anguished cries broke through her reverie, and she saw Adrien punching the air. He had bluffed his way to a victory with just a pair of sevens.

"I had a _straight_ ," Nino cried, head on the table again while Adrien laughed and pulled in his winnings. "I can’t believe you played me like that, bro."

"Aw, Nino," Adrien soothed, patting his head. "It’s nothing _purr_ sonal."

Just like that, a light switch went on in her head, and Marinette had to keep from gasping out loud. The game continued as if the world hadn’t just stopped spinning, and she realized she had to play or else people would become suspicious. Glancing down at her cards, she noticed she had two queens, the hearts and diamonds.

The game play continued around, everyone checking until the fold came out. The other two queens, and a king of spades. Followed by the ace of spades. If someone had a jack and ten of spades, she was screwed. The last card was a four, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. It might have worked in her favor.

Now, of course, she and Adrien were the only ones left. "I bet two hundred," she said, pushing in the chips. Adrien grinned, reminding her even more of Chat, before pushing in his own to match her bet.

Then pushing in double. "I raise," he purred, and Marinette wondered how she went so long without seeing it. It was so _obviously_ Chat that she felt stupider by the moment. Everyone’s attention snapped to her, and she pulled on her Ladybug confidence to smile in return.

"Raise again," she said, doubling the previous move. There was no way he had the cards. He was bad luck, and she good. She definitely was going to call his bluff. But when it went back to him, he shrugged and pushed in everything he had.

"All. In." Adrien said, smiling like the cat that got the cream. Marinette scowled before matching his bet, leaving herself just a few chips in case she lost. With a flourish, Marinette flipped over her hand, showing the four queens smiling up at them.

Adrien blinked down, mouth opening in surprise. _He thought I was bluffing too!_ Marinette realized. Flipping his cards, he showed that he only had a pair of jacks. She laughed and pulled in her winnings while the rest of her friends cheered, Adrien still staring at her cards.

Leaning forward, Marinette spoke low, taking advantage of her friends distraction. "What’s the matter, kitty?" she asked, watching his sparkling green eyes snap to her own. "Cat got your tongue?"

If Adrien could have gasped any more, he would have, and his face shifted from disbelief to shock. He got pretty pale too, and yet his eyes looked at her as if she was the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

"It’s you," he mouthed, and she bit back a smile, standing up and pulling Adrien out onto the balcony while everyone else seemed distracted. Once outside, she slid the door shut and turned to him.

Or tried to, but the moment the door shut she was lifted off her feet from behind and spun around, Adrien’s face pressing into her back. "It’s you it’s you _it’s you_ ," he repeated, laughing and breathless as he carried her.

Marinette yelped, kicking her feet gently and trying not to catch him by accident. "Put me down you mangy cat," she chided, and he complied, spinning her around and holding her gently by the shoulders so they could stare at each other.

"It’s you," he breathed again, and Marinette couldn’t help but smile.

"It’s me." Adrien laughed once, then again, then picked her up and spun her around one more time.

"How can I be so lucky that my Lady is one of my best friends?" he asked, eyes sparkling. She smiled and leaned down, pecking him on the nose.

"Didn’t you know? I’m made of luck." He blinked, a blush crawling over his cheeks as he put her down. "After all, I got lucky enough to have the two guys I love actually be one person."

Adrien’s mouth hung open again, before he smiled. "Aw, bugaboo, you love me?" he asked, leaning in close. She pushed him away by the nose, blushing but smiling.

"You’ve loved me for years, silly cat," she mumbled, arms crossed. To her surprise, he just nodded.

"Yep. I loved Ladybug since the day I met her. But Marinette," he said, taking her hand in his own. "I’ve loved you for almost just as long." She blinked, and suddenly she was blushing furiously, and he was laughing again.

Suddenly he stopped, and a look of betrayal covered his face. "Wait a moment," he said, frowning down at her. "That means you’ve been _cheating_ this whole game! You can’t use your luck to win poker!"

Marinette scowled, hands on her hips defensively. "I have not! You can’t _use_ luck, that’s not how luck _works!"_ Adrien shrugged and crossed his own arms, turning his head away and huffing.

"Nope, you cheated, that isn’t fair. I demand retribution." Rolling her eyes, Marinette reached up on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his briefly. When she moved back down, she saw a far off look in his eyes and a dopey smile on his face.

"Consider that the down payment," she said softly, taking his hands in her own and smiling up at him. He nodded eagerly, and lifted her hand to kiss the back of her knuckles.

Resolving to get used to that on her bare skin, Marinette sighed and tugged his hand, sliding open the door. "Time to go back in, or else they’ll get the wrong idea." Adrien tilted his head, asking her to elaborate. "Yknow, like, making out and stuff. Like we’re together."

Adrien pouted, and asked, "Well…aren’t we?" Marinette froze, her stuttering returning with a vengeance.

"Um, I mean, y-yes, but we weren’t doing…I mean, not that I didn’t _want_ to, but…we can be, if you…" She trailed off, glancing up at his smiling face.

"Of course I do, my Lady," he said softly, leaning down and capturing her lips in another gentle kiss. A woop sounded from inside the room, and they looked up to see everyone staring at them and smiling. Well, mostly smiling. Nino’s head was on the table again and Alya had her hand out to him.

"Pay up," she said proudly, and Marinette and Adrien watched on in confusion as he passed her over a couple euros.

"I knew I should’ve bet another year," he mumbled into the cards.


End file.
